CHAPTER 9: CARROT HAIR, PANTHER SWAG, HACKING

Remnant, System Unknown

City of Vale

Stark Residence

June 5th, 56 AGW

Penny hummed to herself.

As of late, she had been spending a considerable amount of time with Mister Stark learning about science stuff. For some reason, consuming his knowledge seemed far more interesting than what she could hope to do in her own classroom, not that her class was lacking in excitement. On the contrary, things were going swimmingly at school. She had recently joined the Robotics Club in her school and she was making lots of new friends there. Most of the thanks for this push was thanks to her first friend.

For the past month, Penny had developed a rather interesting relationship with Mister Stark. It was easy to have fun with him because he never seemed to be lacking for things to do. Also, he just somehow managed to make things entertaining no matter what. Be it learning about technology, watching some interesting shows, or just being plain goofy, there was never a dull moment where this man was concerned.

The ginger-haired girl didn't think too much about why things were this way or how things had worked out so well. All she knew was that she wanted to continue being friends with the genius for as long as she could. He was her first true friend and she wanted to do as many friend activities as possible.

"I don't understand this one." Penny looked between a diagram in a book and a circuit board. "I thought I put everything together right."

"Not quite, ginger snap." Tony pointed to the problem. "See that there? You didn't quite snap it into place."

"How can you tell that it's not in place?" Penny asked him. "I don't see anything wrong with it."

"I built my first circuit board when I was four years old." Tony spoke of the accomplishment as if it were nothing. "I know what I'm doing."

"That's amazing!" Penny was impressed. "You really are a genius."

"Well, don't I feel like a happy camper." Tony chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Appreciate the thought, carrots, but that's not exactly news to anyone."

"But very few people can do what you've done." Penny pointed out. "That's worthy of praise!"

"You're not too bad yourself, little lady." Tony offhandedly complimented her. "A few more years and you might actually be really good at this stuff."

The more time that the orange-haired girl spent doing this, the more that she could agree with her companion's words. It wasn't all that long ago that she had been a bit aimless in what she wanted to do with her life. Now as she learned more and more about the fundamentals of the technology around her as well as the secretive stuff associated with the Stark name, she couldn't help but think that maybe this was indeed her calling.

Technology held infinite possibilities for mankind and time would only make those numerous possibilities become a reality. With the right advances and the proper mind to utilize them in a revolutionary way, the entire course of the world could change. The Cross Continental Transmit System, for example, was perhaps the most important invention of this century. It provided the world with the means of communication. All four kingdoms were able to keep in contact thanks to that network.

Penny wondered if maybe she could aspire to do something amazing for the world, providing it with an invention that would be used for years after its introduction to the world. The more that she delved into physics, robotics, and other engineering subjects, the more that she envisioned what she could create.

But before she could think about changing the world, she needed to fix the circuit board in front of her.

Tony, for the most part, only provided her with tips and information occasionally. He had given her basic assembly instructions, just enough for her to get started. He seemed to believe that his apprentice, as he liked to call her, was more than capable of taking on new challenges without him holding her hand every second. She wasn't as convinced as he was, but nevertheless, she kept at it.

Penny carefully moved her hands so as not to suddenly brush against the surface. Doing this type of work was very delicate. Even the smallest movements could cause enough damage to permanently warp this thing. She had been reminded of this many times and thankfully, she hadn't ruined any hardware yet.

"You can be a little bit more forceful." Tony reminded her. "I know that I said be careful, but this thing isn't a flower. A little more strength won't hurt it."

"Right." Penny listened and responded.

Applying just a little bit more pressure, she was rewarded with the sound of something snapping into place. Removing her hand from her field of view, she inspected the part that she had adjusted. Nothing appeared broken or otherwise unnatural. It looked like she had fixed that problem.

"So… how are things with your old man?" Mister Stark's inquiry came out of nowhere. "You… get that sorted out?"

"My old man? Oh, you mean my father. Surprisingly, yes." Penny glanced only once before resuming her work. "The changes in our relationship are small, but I have seen them.'

"Hm." Tony seemed satisfied with this answer.

"What about you?" Penny grabbed a screwdriver as she carefully made some minute adjustments to the board's position. "What's your family like?"

She continued to work, but she did note that he didn't reply immediately. For a few moments, she let her work distract her, but as her question went unanswered, she turned her head to see a face that looked distant. She caught this expression for a split second before he resumed a casual look.

"I don't have one." Tony shrugged his shoulders. "They're gone."

"Oh." Penny wasn't sure what she ought to say. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault." Tony stared off to his right. "It was an accident, nothing much to it."

Somehow, she got this feeling that it was a lot more personal than he cared to show her, but seeing as he didn't go into detail, maybe this was a sign that there wasn't anything else that he wished to talk about.

But it did make her wonder what it felt like to be alone without anyone to call family. That must be a very lonely feeling. Even though her relationship with her father had been somewhat distant and not as loving as she wished it was, at least they cared about each other. She knew the reason why it was. Her mother's death had changed their entire family. Her father never talked much about it and the ginger-haired teenager didn't ask. She had but a few vivid memories of her mother and that was likely all she would remember.

Penny refocused her efforts back on her work. This felt like an awkward time and she wanted to get back to the fun stuff.

The next hour was spent just working together on this small project. Neither of them strayed away from the subject at hand. For the most part, it was a process of listening and implementing. It was a steady and easy workflow.

Mister Stark had a face of intense concentration only when they were working on anything related to his fields of expertise. It was a small detail she noticed after spending this much time with him and while it had never seemed relevant before, something clicked in her mind. If he could approach all other activities with such confidence and flippancy yet treat his own engineering work so seriously, then clearly it was more to him than something he was good at.

Maybe it helped him get away from tough life stuff?

Penny couldn't even begin to understand what it was like to be the CEO of a budding company that was receiving so much attention from all around. If it was tough, then he was doing a good job of not showing it. Of course, assuming that his job was hard, then as a friend, wouldn't it be a good thing for her if she could lighten his load?

Could she work for Stark Industries?

No, that wouldn't work out. Firstly, she didn't have any formal training or experience. Yes, she was learning a great deal from the man behind it all, but that didn't really count as anything official. It was just one person teaching another.

Aside from that, there were some legal concerns. Technically, this stuff shouldn't be handled by anyone other than adults. Stark Industries was a weapons manufacturer and generally speaking, only huntsmen or governments found uses for such companies. A teenage girl didn't seem the right kind of place.

"I… have a question." Penny wasn't sure if this was right, but she got an idea.

"Shoot." Tony replied.

"Could I… work for you?" Penny realized her mistake. "I-I mean intern for your company."

"You want to do an internship with my company?" Tony appeared to be surprised. "You really love this work that much?"

"This is all very fascinating." Penny agreed. "But I want to help you."

"Help me?"

"Friends help each other, correct?"

Iron Man - - - RWBY

Remnant, System Unknown

City of Vale

Downtown

June 9th, 56 AGW

Ghira had been busier than ever now that he was the newly-appointed liaison between the White Fang and Stark Industries. In more recent days, it was getting harder to find any sort of leisure time with his position being what it was, but he took this job with all that he had in him. This was critical work and his actions could affect not just himself but countless other faunus.

As promised between the pro-faunus organization and the weapons manufacturer, they had not made their relationship public. In fact, the plan was to keep the entire thing a secret for about a year, give or take. This time would serve two purposes. Firstly, it was a testing period to find the right people to work for the fledgling company. Secondly, the experience of these new employees would perhaps inspire creativity within the White Fang.

As Mister Stark had so eloquently put it in one of his speeches, competence was his only concern and while he was willing to give chances to the Faunus, he wouldn't hire anyone that couldn't do the job he needed done. Additionally, with the increased attention and business that Stark Industries was gaining, the work was not exactly easy nor did it promise stable work hours, but what was more important was that the pay and benefits were pretty good for a relatively small company and more importantly, getting to work under a rising brand name would go a long way to making life for the Faunus easier.

Ghira's duties not only meant speaking directly to Tony, but also keeping an eye on the individuals from the White Fang that had gotten positions within the weapons manufacturer. As far as he could tell, there had been nothing in the way of treatment issues. The few minor incidents that came up and been dealt with efficiently and professionally thanks to the CEO. It was amazing just how much the entire workforce of the new company, being comprised of humans and faunus, was getting along.

Then again, Stark Industries, being a recently-conceived industrial entity, could do whatever it wanted. If its head master said that everyone was welcome regardless of whatever characteristics they were born with, then most likely the only people who were brought into the company were people that could get along with others despite differences or at the very least tolerate and respect those differences if nothing else.

Tonight, Ghira wasn't about to get to work on anything. Instead, he was going to take some time off and go on an outing with Mister Stark. The invitation had come rather suddenly, but Ghira couldn't deny that in a professional setting, working with Tony was making his life just all the more interesting. Perhaps that sense could also be applied in an informal setting. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to be on more friendly terms with one of his contacts.

The outing was to take place in the City of Vale and thankfully this wasn't a problem seeing as the white fang member was already in the city on business. While being liaison to Stark Industries was his main job, he had many other engagements to other partners and clients as well.

The location that they were to meet in was called the Crow Bar. It wasn't the most creative name for a place to drink, but at least it was easy to remember.

While walking the streets of Vale, Ghira noticed many people staring his way, no doubt taking note of his size. He received quite a significant amount of attention with his massive height and build. More than once, he had used his body as a means of intimidation. It was easy to do and he had to remind himself only to use such an ability in moderation lest he become reliant upon it and become a changed man because of it. He could only imagine what looks people might give him if his faunus trait were not able to be hidden easily.

Checking his scroll for the occasional direction, he eventually came upon his destination, a small but well-maintained bar. There appeared to be almost no one inside. The only two people present was a single bartender who was cleaning some of his glasses and Tony, who was casually drinking while staring at nothing in particular. The inventor's eyes turned to him, motioning him inside.

"Right on time, big man." Tony greeted him. "The bar's all ours for the night. I thought we might just have a chat, cut loose a bit, you know."

"Thank you for inviting me." Ghira cautiously took a seat. "I've been so swept up taking care of business that I forgot to take breaks."

"I know the feeling." Tony snorted a bit. "But that's just the life we signed up for, right? We're trying to fix an imperfect world and it's the only one we've got."

"Imperfect feels like a generous word at times." Ghira sighed. "But you're right. This is only the beginning."

"Well, enough about that stressful mumbo-jumbo." Tony waved his hand off. "Drinks are on the house."

Normally, the faunus man didn't drink all that much, but he did have a drink or two that he enjoyed on occasion. Now that he thought about it, it had been a while since he had last drank any sort of alcohol. He supposed it was time to go a little crazy because if not now, then when?

His host did say drinks were free after all.

"So, real question." Tony leaned in as if about to talk about something really secretive. "You any good with the ladies?"

Ghira raised an eyebrow. "Where is this coming from?"

"Call me curious." Tony appeared very interested in this topic. "I don't mean to brag, but I've got a considerable list of conquests, but that can't be helped seeing as I've got it where it counts in all departments."

"Your confidence must be the most well-staffed department." Ghira couldn't help but quip.

"It's never steered me wrong before." Tony grinned sardonically "But what about you? I'm assuming that you've gotten more than your fair share of eyes turned to you."

"There have been a few women." Ghira had more than a few outstanding traits, he would admit that much. "But I haven't committed to anything serious."

"A shame, man." Tony patted his companion on the shoulder. "These are your best years. You should really make sure that you don't regret not living it up a bit more. Get out more, hook up with some chicks."

"It's an interesting thought, but I can't see myself doing that." Ghira knew how he felt on the subject. "Besides, the White Fang is the most important thing in my life right now."

"Alright, tough guy. If casual encounters aren't your style, then find a girlfriend that you go steady with." Tony came up with a new suggestion. "You don't have to be serious about it, but maybe a bit of romance in your life won't hurt."

Ghira looked dubious. "Since when are you an expert at love?"

Tony swished his glass back and forth. "I'm not. I'm just trying to help a guy out. I mean, I might as well, right? I don't exactly have a reason not to help you."

"Are you sure that you're completely sane?" Ghira questioned.

"I'm here enough." Tony pointed to the counter. "Let's see if you'll be here once you're done with that."

In the middle of their conversation, the bartender had finished mixing the faunus man's drink. The recipient of the concoction drew the glass to his lips and took a drink. The taste was sweet and mellow, nothing too overpowering, just the way he liked it. Being a tea drinker, he always preferred more calm and cool flavors over intense and hot ones.

"I don't fancy myself a heavy drinker, but don't underestimate me." Ghira carefully put his glass down on the counter. "I can hold my alcohol just fine."

"Sounds like a challenge to me." Tony appeared fired up. "How about a wager?"

"This ought to be good." Ghira didn't like where this was going. "What did you have in mind?"

"If I win this thing, I'm finding you a date." Tony stated. "If you win, you find me a date."

"That's it?" Ghira was expecting something else.

"What, is that too much for you to handle, Bagheera?"

"...Bagheera?"

"Oh, did I mention that I have a thing for nicknames? Well, I did just now so now you know. I just gave you your nickname, so get used to it, will you?"

As the night dragged on, it became increasingly unstable for the two men as they took more shots and became more hazy in their thoughts. It got to a point where the bartender had to inform them of the results because neither of them could remember who had outlasted the other. It had been a very close match. Ghira might have a very high tolerance for alcohol, but Tony had more experience with drinking and the latter had managed to pull off a narrow victory.

When Ghira had regained consciousness and was fully cognizant, he was asking himself one question.

Why did he agree to this to begin with?

RWBY - - - Iron Man

Remnant, System Unknown

City of Vale

Stark Residence

June 11th, 56 AGW

Tony knew that he was working a little too hard for his own good. While being busy and productive was a really good thing, the amount of work that he had taken on was massive, perhaps too much so for one man to take on alone.

But being the CEO of a "new" company, he couldn't very well slack off at a time like this. If he wanted his name to be synonymous with weapons, he would need to dedicate himself to years of tireless and continuous work. After all, he did want to have his name become even more famous than that of the Schnee Dust Company. If that was to become a reality, then he would have to work for it.

It was all worth it though. After nearly four months of starting from scratch, securing deals, forming alliances and allies, and recruiting some good people, things were looking really pretty. In fact, it was becoming more likely that by the end of this year, Stark Industries would reach a valuation of Ⱡ1 billion. Already, they had surpassed Ⱡ100 million, so being even more ambitious felt like the right thing to do.

Tony wanted to do something to celebrate, but then he remembered a little side project that he had been neglecting in favor of building his company. Now that he had a breather, it was time to see what he could dig up on Ozpin.

As of late, he had come up with a little program designed to track information regarding persons of interest. He had been using said program to gather up all the dirt that he could on all the people that were relevant to him. He wasn't sure if he was ever going to need this stuff, but better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. There was no telling when he would need to get himself out of trouble using this underhanded but perfectly legitimate method.

Well, it wasn't really legal per say. He wasn't just scouring the entirety of the CCTS. He has actively burrowing his way into databases, public and private, civilian and military, old and new, everything that could store information. Basically, he was doing all sorts of wrong, but as long as he wasn't caught, it wouldn't matter. Plus, his program was far beyond anything that Remnant could throw at him. The Pentagon was far more secure that all the military installations of Atlas and he had hacked the Pentagon on a dare in high school.

In the end, Tony reasoned that it wasn't worth trying to get all hot and bothered over. This just made his job a lot easier. After he gathered all the necessary information, he would store it on his private server and he would make sure to erase all traces of his electronic footprints. It was like taking candy from a baby, nothing to it.

Back to Ozpin, the man had a very interesting history. He was a prodigy huntsman who had taken over the reigns from his predecessor. Actually, that wasn't merely restricted to the current headmaster. If anything, it seemed that all the previous headmasters of Beacon Academy seemed to just coincidently be very gifted at killin Grimm. They ranged in ages, looks, and fighting styles, but the high aptitude for killing was common amongst them all.

Not just that, but records seemed to indicate that all of these men who had led Beacon were connected in some form. None of these relationships were surface-level. They carried great importance.

Furthermore, it seemed really odd that Ozpin had connections to all the academies. On the surface, that didn't seem to be a problem. All of the huntsman academies on Remnant shared the same goal, but that was the problem. The four institutions seemed a little too connected in a way. It felt like their design wasn't so much coincidental as it was intentional.

Additionally, how the academies were founded only further increased his suspicions. The King of Vale ended the war with a single and decisive show of power that had all the other rulers of the world bow their heads in submission, but instead of ruling the world, he created the academies. It was almost like the king was trying to preserve a legacy far older than himself, something much more powerful.

Tony combed through more information about the people he had met and compared their information, attempting to piece together a semblance of the secrets that Ozpin held. There had to be more to this story, something that he wasn't seeing. Between the students, faculty, and the various huntsmen and huntresses across the world, there had to be a common thread linking it all together.

As he was well aware, countless kids were being made into soldiers to kill Grimm, but after over fifty years of training elite warriors, there appeared to be little in the way of tangible progress. The Grimm were still wandering in droves and the kingdoms were content to pretend that their peace would last forever, but half a century of peace wasn't that long.

Back home, there were more than a handful of World War II veterans still alive to remember the horrors of Earth's most devastating war. Hell, there were physical remnants and undeniable proof of the conflict's existence. The thing that the Great War had in common with WW2 was simply that with time, people were forgetting about it.

However, just because people forget doesn't make history go away.

Back to the topic, figuring out the end goal was tough. There was no point in sending countless men and women to their deaths all for nothing. If there was as purpose, than it was doing a good job of not revealing itself. There must be something he could opt to ignore in favor of a less obvious clue. The broad picture wasn't yielding any results, so narrowing the search to more specific individuals would be the next logical step.

Tony thought about everyone that he had gotten into contact in his time on Remnant and more specifically, the people that had some sort of relation to Ozpin, even if only peripheral. He instantly ruled out Team STRQ because they were first-year students and most likely not too entrenched in the war that Ozpin was gearing up for. If the old man truly thought that a few hundred huntsmen and huntresses were going to save the world by themselves, then he must have many screws loose. For all of their strengths in battle, these enhanced individuals were still mortal at the end of the day.

Conventional warfare was still a much-needed necessity for combating large hordes of Grimm. What an army lacked in quality they made up for in quantity. Plus, when it came to training individuals to fight in the military, it wasn't all that hard. Any normal person could train their body into good shape and fire a rifle with decent accuracy. Mass produce enough of these individuals and that would more than suffice. The fact that no kingdom on Remnant had given up on a standing military save for Vacuo meant that a huntsman was in essence a special forces operative, a very important piece, but not irreplaceable.

Tony couldn't quite wrap his head around any of it. What made Ozpin believe so much in an individual above an entire army?

An alert sound reverberated as a window popped up. The inventory tapped his pointer finger to widen the image and began to read its contents. He was able to rapidly take in the information. Once he finished, he sat back in his chair with a look of exasperation.

"Figures that I need to go on site." Tony put his hand in his face, letting some unpleasant sounds from his mouth before resuming his cool. "Well, guess I'm paying a visit to the Wizard of Oz. I'll just grab some weapon data from Team STRQ while I'm at it."

Now that he thought about it, there might be a way for him to get into Beacon Academy's remote systems without going there directly. He was kicking himself for not thinking about it before. Well, at least he had saved himself some trouble.

Grabbing his scroll, the young man accessed his list of contacts. It was amazing that this list had once been empty, but now it was filling up with many numbers from some of the most powerful and influential people in all of Remnant, but today, he wasn't making any calls to any adults.

A bunch of kids would be providing him with the means to get inside.

Iron Man - - - RWBY

Remnant, System Unknown

Beacon Accademy

Student Dorms

June 11th, 56 AGW

Summer and the rest of her team had retired for the day after intense training. While the school semester might have ended a few weeks ago, there was still the Vytal Festival to compete in. Naturally, Team STRQ was going to compete in this competition. All of them had their opinions regarding the whole thing.

Summer was absolutely floored.

Taiyang was excited, albeit more controlled in his excitement.

Raven honestly wasn't expecting much.

Qrow had tuned it all out.

"Man why can't it get here any sooner?" Summer began to whine. "We've still got a month from the Vytal Tournament. What are we supposed to do in that time?"

"More training." Taiyang answered.

"Missions." Raven added.

"Killing Grimm." Qrow intoned.

"I know that!" Summer rounded on her teammates with a light glare. "What do you take me for?"

"A foolish little girl." Raven shot back.

"We're the same age!" Summer countered.

"Are we?" Raven seemed amused. "I can't be too sure about that. The way you act seems to indicate otherwise."

"Qrow, Raven is bullying me!" Summer turned to her other dark-haired teammate. "Do something about her!"

"No." Qrow didn't miss a beat.

"Traitor!" Summer pouted. "Tai! A little help, please?"

"The things I do for this team." Taiyang sighed, but didn't turn down the plea. "Raven, can you tone it down?"

"But I like it when she's like this." Raven casually paced her arm around Summer's shoulders. "So vulnerable."

"Right. Well, how abo-"

It was then that someone's scroll began to sound off. By instinct, each of them knew what ringtone the others had. Three pairs of eyes rounded on the team leader, who appeared curious as to who was calling her at this time. As far as she knew, she didn't have any pressing issues, appointments, or other engagements to attend to.

"Must be my parents." Summer retrieved her scroll. "..."

"Well, well, well." Raven took note of the number and the name next to it. "If it isn't our namesake weapons company?"

"Stark's calling?" Qrow kind of gave an irritated sound. "What the hell does he want?"

"We won't know unless we answer." Tai replied. "Let's-"

"Hold on!" Summer began to mess with her appearance. "Do I look okay!? How's my hair!? Any zits on my face!? Do I have scars!?"

"Why are you concerned about how you look?" Qrow didn't understand her current behavior. "It's just a phone call. You can't see him and he can't see you."

"Just a call!?" Summer looked offended. "This is Tony Stark, a true and genuine weapons developer with technical skills and knowledge unparalleled by anyone! He's going to be the biggest name right next to the Schnee Dust Company! Of course I have to look great! He's my idol!"

Taiyang looked confused. "But it's just a phone call."

"You have too high of an opinion on the man." Raven dismissed everyone's nonsensical chatter. "But we might as well answer the call. This is the fourth ring!"

"NONONO!" Summer frantically hit the answer button." M-Mister Stark! How can we help you?!"

"Hey, short stack!" Tony's familiar voice sounded. "I see you're as sprightly as ever. That's good, I'm gonna need that motivation. I've got a teensy favor to ask you."

"Anything!" Summer nodded eagerly as if he was able to see her.

Some of you might be wondering what's up with the gap month. It wasn't for lack of motivation or ideas. I just needed to get some other stories updated that hadn't been on my radar for a while, so I apologize for the extra wait time.

As Volume 7 of RWBY progresses, I am finally able to confirm that indeed Willow Schnee is the name of the Schnee matriarch of the family and that for all intents and purposes, she's a spectator in her own life. She doesn't really control much in her family, she's given up on being anything more than a drunk failure of a mother, and she's just plain depressing, but I will say that her brief scene with Weiss has given me a few ideas on how I can use her character. Since my voters have given me the challenge of making Winter and Weiss the biological daughters of Tony Stark, why not take that rebellious streak a bit further?

And yes, I did fix Doctor Polendina's first name. Fortunately, we're not too far in that I can't change it, so for those of you who with that burning question, there you go.

On an unrelated note, I rewatched all of Iron Man and I was hit by lots of nostalgia. I first saw this movie when it came out and I remembered it well as a good movie. Watching it as an adult with the life experiences I've gone through and the changes to myself as as person has only made me appreciate it more. The overall film represents something much different than how Avengers: Endgame presented itself, that much is for sure.

So what are all of your thoughts regarding this chapter? Please leave feedback and criticisms as you see fit. I've done a readthrough of this chapter and fixed many errors, but feel free to tell me if I missed anything.

Thanks for reading and welcome to 2020! I hope that all of you do great things!

"Someone is sitting in the shade because someone planted a tree a long time ago."

Warren Buffett